By Klea Gjergji ’23
Have you ever wanted to write a song or poem about a specific word, but don’t know where to start? Or maybe even get a certain topic explained to you within seconds? ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a new AI tool released in November of 2022 that can generate text-based responses to just about any topic. In the text box, you can type a range of words, click enter, and the AI program will produce accurate, detailed paragraph responses. Just as easy as that sounds, it’s also easy to take advantage of this resource and incorporate it into school work in a dishonest way.
The controversial debate about AI lies in whether it is a useful tool for easy learning or merely just another method of cheating and plagiarism. I decided to interview Beverly High students about ChatGPT to get a clearer perspective on the new AI.
Q: What is your opinion on ChatGPT, and is it useful for learning?
“ChatGPT has a lot of potentials to change the way people approach online learning, but more time needs to be spent to better understand how it can be utilized as an academic tool” – Dylan McCay (‘23)
“I think that it’s useful in some ways. I don’t really use it though because I’d rather figure out stuff on my own. It can be a useful resource for school if answers aren’t easily on the internet, so it’s a good way to find answers to questions when you really need them.” – Isabella Jimenez (‘23)
“Just from my first impression, I feel like it will just cause more harm than it ever could good. On the serious side, people can use it to fake all types of things, and then it’s like, what’s real and what’s fake? I think it’s funny and cool honestly but also terrifying.” -Hannah O’Neil (‘23)
In conclusion, ChatGPT seems to be paving its way into the school for use as a supporting resource. Students seem to have found comfort in seeking research themselves rather than utilizing ChatGPT. Students also seem to understand the dangers of using AI for school. Will this take a turn in the future? Only time will tell!
Image Credit: ATRIA Innovation (https://www.atriainnovation.com/en/how-does-chat-gpt-work/)
